Generator suspension.



Patented-(11 111 27, 191

ED STATES PATET D WILLIAM L. BLISS, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO U. S. LIGHT AND HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

GENERATOR SUSPENSION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. Buss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Generator Suspe sions, of which the following is a full, cleai}, concise, and exact description, referen e being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to generator suspensions.

It has among its objects to provide compact and improved means for positioning a car lighting generator whereby the proper tension upon the generator belt is maintained and the parts of thegenerator and suspension are made readily accessible.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will hereinafter appear.

In order that my invention may be clearly and fully disclosed, I have illustrated two embodiments of the same in the accompanying drawings. v

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the generator suspension. Fig. 2 shows an end view of the tension member. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation of a modified construction of tension member. Fig. 4 shows a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The improvements illustrated have a generator-carrying frame composed of two pairs of parallel links 1 and 2 connected by transversely extending cross bars. This frame is pivotally suspended at 3 and. 1 from projections or stirrups 5 and 6, rigidly supported on parallel suspension bars 7, which are adjustable with relation thereto as by means of. adjustable members 8. The

generator 9 is removably attached to the cross bars.

In my im rovement, a bell crank lever 10 is pivote at 11 to the end of the depending portion of the bar 7. This bell crank lever is pivotally connected at one end to a rigid horizontally disposed link 12 adjustably attached to the link 2, as by means of a bolt 13. 13 clamps the link 12 rigidly to the link 2 through an adjustable holding member or Specification of Letters Patent.

. the plane of the As illustrated, the bolt Serial No. 70,310.

clamp 14 extending around the link. The opposite end of the bell crank lever 10 extends at an angle of substantially 30 degrees to the bodyv portion and is providedwith a' central bore through which extends the diagonally disposed tension rod 15 or spring carrier. This tension rod is pivoted at its 1nner end to the suspension on the pivot 4, that 1s, the same pivot upon which the link 2 is pivoted. The outer end of" this rod 15 is surrounded'by a coiled tension spring 16 which extends between the upper end of the bell crank lever and an adjustable weighted tension nut 17 carried on the threaded outer extremity 18 of the rod. The tension of the spring is thus exerted between the lever attached to the suspended frame and the stirrup or projection 6 ri idly carried by the suspension member When the generator tends to swing toward the left, that is, toward the pulley on the driving axle, the bell crank lever 10 is turned about its pivot 11 to compress the spring 16. The'efi'ect of this is to store energy in the spring 16 which opposes the continued movement of the generator, and tends to return the generator to its normal position, wherein the links 1 and 2 are vertical. Likewise, when the suspension is swung to the right, the pressure upon the spring is reduced, allowing the spring to expand and act as a cushioning means preventing the overswing of the generator when it tends to return. Thus the bell crank lever tends to cooperate -with the spring to maintain the generator within the desired limits of movement in which the proper tension upon the belt is maintained.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated a modified form of construction wherein the tension rod 15, instead of extending diagonally,

Patented June 27, 1916. 1

Application filed November 18, 1912, SeriaI'No. 731,995 Renewed January 4, 1916.

as in the construction heretofore described,

is vertically disposed in a plane parallel to generator supporting links. In this construction, the bell crank lever 10 is provided with a lug extending substantially at right angles thereto, instead of substantially at an angle of 30 degrees, as in the case of the construction heretofore described. Further, in this case the tension is substantially the same as that heretofore described.

By reason of my improvement I am able to eliminate the necessity for twisting the downwardly extending end of the heavy suspension bar 7. I am further able to arrange the tension means more compactly so that the generator is more readily accessible from the side of the truck. Further, the parts are so arranged that there is a minimum of wear upon the same and may be of such arugged construction as to withstand'long use in service. At the same time, the device is exceedingly simple in construction and may be very readily and cheaply manufactured. .1

While I have herein specifically described two embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that the forms shown are susceptible of modification and that the improvements whereby ruggedness of construction and accessibility of parts are obtained may be employed on other types of suspension than the specific embodiments herein illustrated.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A generator suspension comprlsing suspension bars, a swinging frame depending therefrom, and a spring-pressed lever for positioning said frame pivoted to a dependmg portion of one of said bars.

2. A generator suspension comprising suspension bars having depending portions at their ends, a swinging frame pivoted to said bars adjacent their depending portions, and a spring-pressed lever pivoted to the end of the depending portion of one of said bars,

one end of said lever being pivotally attached to said swinging frame.

3. A generator suspension comprising a pair of parallel suspension bars having depending ends, a swinging generator sup porting frame pivoted to said bars adjacent said ends, a lever pivoted to the depending end of one of said bars and pivotally connected at one end to said swinging frame, a tension rod extending through the other end of said lever and attached to said sus pension at a point above the lever, and a tension spring normally bearing against one end of said lever.

4. A generator suspension comprising a 1 pair ofv parallel suspension bars having depending ends, a swinging link ivoted to said suspension bars and depen ing there from, a lever pivoted to the depending end masses of one of said bars, means pivoted to the lower end of said lever connecting the same to the lower end of said link, a diagonally disposed tension rod pivoted upon the same pivot as said swinging link and extending through the upper end of said lever, and means normally holding the lower end of said lever in parallel relation with said swinging link.

5. A generator suspension comprising suspension bars having depending ends, a pair of parallel links pivotally supported by said bars adjacent said depending ends and forming a single swinging frame, a bell crank lever pivoted upon the depending end of one of said bars, means connecting one end of said bell crank lever to one of said links, a tension rod pivoted to the pivot of one of said links and extending through the other end of said bell crank lever, and a tension spring carried by said rod and normally bearing against the end of said bell crank lever.

6. In combination, a pair of parallel sus-= pension bars having depending portions extending substantially at right angles thereto, a pair of depending links extending at right angles thereto, and pivotally mounted thereon, a generator supported by said links, a horizontally disposed member for adjusting said links connected to the same at the pivot points thereof, bellcrank levers pivoted to the depending ends of said suspension bars, said bell crank levers having their lower ends in parallel relation to said links, means movable with said gener ator and pivotally connected to .Said bell crank levers for imparting thereto the swinging movement of, said generator, ten sion rods pivoted to said links and adjustable therewith, said tension rods extending diagonally with respect to the linksthrough the upper ends of said bell crank levers, and tension springs carried upon the outer ends of said rods and normally holding the lower ends of said bell crank levers in vertical po sition.

7. Means for supporting a generator on a car, said means including suspension means rigidly attached to a portion of the car, a

projection-rigidly attached to said suspension means, a generator carrying member pivotally suspended from said suspension means, a lever arm attached to said suspend ed member, and a tension spring exerting its force between'the rejection on the suspension member and the lever arm to maintain said suspended member in position.

8. Supporting means for a car lighting generator, said means including suspension means rigidly attached to a portion ofthe car, a swinging generator-carrying frame pivotally suspended from said suspension means, a bracket rigidly attached to said suspension means, a lever arm attached to said frame, a spring carrier attached to one scribed my name in the presence of two witend of Said bragket, and a gension spring nesses. surroun in sai carrier an exertin its force betw en said bracket and said iver WILLIAM BLISS 5 arm to maintain said suspended frame in Witnesses:

position. E. P. HANNIG,

In witness whereof, I have hereunto sub- JAMES L. COUGHLEY. 

